British Garden Centres has today announced the acquisition of two Dobbies Garden Centres in Gloucester and Reading, making it the UK’s largest garden centre operator by number of sites.

This strategic move marks a significant milestone for the business. It further solidifies its position as the UK’s largest family-run garden centre group, taking the portfolio to 67 stores.

The two stores will join the British Garden Centres family following the Dobbies Restructuring Plan (RP) and hope to open in mid to late February. The Reading store will take the name Shinfield Garden Centre to better reflect the area and local community.

The immediate priority is to work closely with the existing teams to restock and reopen the centres as soon as possible. British Garden Centres will be retaining all existing centre team members and look forward to working with them to ensure the continued success of these sites in the local communities they serve.  Extra roles at each centre will be posted on the British Garden Centres website  https://www.britishgardencentres.com/careers/ and the Facebook and Instagram pages of each centre.

Charles Stubbs, Founder and Director of British Garden Centres said: “We are thrilled to announce the addition of two fantastic garden centres to the British Garden Centres family. This marks a significant milestone for the group, as the acquisition of these former Dobbies stores cements us as the largest garden centre group in the UK by stores. We have a clear vision for the growth of these centres and are excited to integrate with the local communities while building on the strong foundations that are already in place.

Further acquisitions of Dobbies sites by British Garden Centres are likely to follow.